Tag Archives: family time

We’re using Skype software to share our summer memories and muddle through a renovation. This summer my husband is working in the city and I am in the country. He’s working his normal job in Manhattan, I’m navigating swim meets and summer camp. He’s overseeing our apartment renovation and I’m overseeing the lunches and booboos and bugbites. That’s a lot to miss out on…or a lot to share.

We’ve scheduled weekly calls via Skype to stay together. While we do see each other on weekends, it’s not enough. Sure quick text messages can relay the nuts and bolts. But you can’t share the excitement of a 1st place swim ribbon via text message. So we Skype. The girls love seeing Daddy on screen and catching up up on their days. It makes the weeks go a heck of a lot faster!

And then there is the renovation. We’re overhauling our city apartment this summer. That means MANY decisions about light fixtures and plumbing placement and layouts. While I travel in for some meetings, I can’t make them all. Skype to the rescue. I can “meet” with my husband and the architect and see the options via my computer. This means my husband doesn’t have to make important decisions on his own.

Staying connected has gotten a little bit easier this summer thanks to Skype. Luckily Skype has us kept this family close even though we are often 100 miles apart.

WIth Memorial Day this upcoming weekend, we know a lot of you will be grilling and enjoying some relaxing time with the family. To help us out, Celebrity Chef & Food Network StarIngrid Hoffmann shared her favorite grilled dishes for barbecues and pool parties. Check out her list of delicious recipes, and enjoy this special time with your family:

Basics 101: Marinades:
Marinades should always have a ratio of 1 to 3 acidity to oil. Acids such as citruses or vinegars help tenderize proteins and oils add moisture and prevent sticking. For extra zing use zest of citrus as well.

Dont cross-contaminate:
Do not use the marinade you marinated raw meat in for basting, could contaminate cooked food. Separate batches from the start.

Avoid the Burn:
ugary sauces when used too early in the grilling process can burn your food. Put them on your grilled meats towards the end of grilling.

Skewer prep ahead:
To keep wooden skewers from burning, soak them in water. For ready to go skewers: soak skewers, drain and freeze in ziplock bags, and keep in freezer until youre ready for grilling.

Dont flip flop:
Resist the urge to flip your food several times. Ideally, you should only flip once in order to avoid a flop  dry, uneven and overcooked food.

Give it a twist:
Use unexpected ingredients for your skewers such as olives, avocado, mango, and strawberries.

Meal on a stick:
For easy, pass around and all in one meals, make skewers with a protein, baby potatoes, vegetable and fruit.

Rest in the tent:
Let meat rest under a foil tent for a few minutes before slicing so juices redistribute evenly.

1. To make the marinade, place the soy sauce, orange juice, ketchup, honey, lime juice, garlic, basil, oregano, and some pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the honey is completely dissolved. Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag with the fish fillets and marinate in your refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

2. To make the salsa, toss the tomatoes, scallions, black beans, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add some salt to taste and set aside to let the flavors develop.

3. Preheat your grill to high. Pour some oil into a small bowl. Using tongs, dip a wad of paper towels into the oil and use it to grease the grill grates. Grill the fish on each side without moving it until it is browned, firm and flaky, about 10 to 12 minutes total. Serve with the black bean salsa and lime wedges.

1.?Build a medium-hot fire in an outdoor grill or heat a grill pan over high heat.
2.?To make the dressing, finely chop the garlic on a chopping board. Sprinkle with a large pinch of salt, and smear the garlic on the chopping board to make a paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the vinegar, water, oregano, and sugar and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3.?If using an outdoor grill, brush the cooking grate clean. Brush the romaine lettuce with some dressing on both sides. Place on the grill or grill pan, cut side down, and grill, turning once, until the lettuce is seared with grill marks, about 2 minutes.
4.?Place each romaine half on a dinner plate. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

1.?Spray the pineapple slices with the cooking spray on both sides and rub with the dark brown sugar.
2.?Beat the heavy cream with an electric hand mixer on high speed in a chilled medium bowl until it thickens. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the rum until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3.?Heat a rimmed grill pan over high heat until very hot. In batches, add the pineapple to the pan and grill until seared with grill marks, turning once, about 3 minutes. (The pineapple can also be grilled on an outdoor grill over medium heat.) Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.

4.?For each serving, place 2 pineapple slices on a dessert plate. Top with a dollop of the rum cream, sprinkle with a tablespoon of coconut, and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve immediately.

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the achiote seeds. Turn off the heat and let the seeds steep until the oil turns a vibrant orange-red, about 5 minutes. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the seeds. Place the achiote oil in a blender along with the vinegar, garlic, aji amarillo, cumin, salt, and pepper and purée the mixture.

2. Place the pork in a resealable gallon-sized plastic bag. Add the achiote marinade, turn the bag to coat the pork, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat your grill to high heat. Thread the pork onto skewers alternately with the pineapple and red onion. Sprinkle the skewers with a little salt and pepper. Grill until browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes total; dont overcook or the pork will be tough and dry. Serve the skewers on a bed of lettuce leaves with some lime wedges.

Photo credit: Lynx. Ingrid prepared these recipes for her role as grill master in partnership with Lynx.

There is no perfect family or a perfect life. But as parents we do our best and create a structure that works best for our family. Some families are able to do smoothly with open communication, strong values and effective time management.

Modeled after their work with Family ROI, a nonprofit organization they founded, which hosts weekend retreats to teach guests how to use strategic planning tools, culture building practices, and communication strategies to realize and achieve the goals they have for their families, the book features a journey map where members of the family can create a shared vision of your life, make exciting plans for the future, strengthen your communications, discover ways to improve your day-to-day lives, and have fun together!

According to Fagan-Smith and Gee, the Family ROI Experience can work for any family regardless of the size, structure, culture or faith of your family. This includes a notion that family can be described as a tree whose roots starts with communication. Culture, mission and practices are the stems and the leaves are purposes, vision, appreciation, contributions, etc. I loved seeing the colorful family tree as I reflected on my own background and the goals I have for my daughters.

In the book and program, users employ a Journey Map en route to strengthening their family.

Steps include:

Communication: Families learn strategies to communicate clearly and compassionately with one another. Once they have developed these foundational tools, they can move on to other stops along the map.

Culture: Family members discover who they are collectively as a family — including their core values, traditions, and daily agreements.

Mission: Families explore where they are headed and the steps necessary to make their vision a reality.

Practices: Families examine and improve their day-to-day tasks.

“Our process encourages people to revitalize, refocus, and reinforce their bonds,” says Fagan-Smith.

Part step-by-step guide and part workbook, The Family ROI Experience includes activities family members can do together and stories from people who have completed the process at previous workshops.

Gee adds, “Regardless of a family’s size, structure, culture, or religious beliefs, The Family ROI Experience ensures a great return on a family’s investment of time, energy, and love.”

While there is no perfect family, the The Family ROI Experience is designed to help families create structure and balance, and ultimately strengthen the family unit. Our family thinks travel brings us together, what about you?